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When I was growing up, my mother used to tell me, “If you do what others won’t, you will have what others don’t.”

She didn’t coin the phrase. It’s one of those motivational phrases that’s been around awhile. It’s a reminder that if you spend a little more time, or focus your energy more, or do the unpleasant work no one really wants to do, you’ll prosper.

Every time I write a resume, I tailor it for the type of job my client is seeking. This strategy, proven to work effectively with both human eyeballs and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), looks like this: I study job ads provided by my client, identify common themes, create a list of keywords and skills based on those job ads, and write the resume accordingly. This resume—assuming the client applies for jobs similar to the job ads that he or she provided up front—will perform very well with an ATS.

My client Karen is a following spouse with a career of her own. Her husband Bruce has a great job but his company moves him every three years. So, Karen needs to update her resume before every relocation.

I learned from Karen and from other clients who were relocating that the remote job search isn’t always easy. HR people usually want to meet you in real life. Your schedule for meetings may not be as flexible as those of the local applicants. You may not have many contacts or a strong network in the area. And you may not know anything about what it’s like to live in this new place.

But the long-distance job hunt doesn’t have to be scary or unproductive. Here’s the advice I give people planning to look for work prior to moving.Read more

My client Charles faced a dilemma that’s fairly common: how to list a job that lasted a very short time on his resume. Charles worked in the financial services industry and, after just three months in a new position with a bank, he chose to leave because he realized the job wasn’t what he thought it would be. Fortunately for Charles, his former boss convinced him to return, and even gave him a promotion.

Fast forward four years. We’re now updating Charles’ resume. He wants to be honest when he presents his employment history, but is unsure about listing his brief stint at the bank he left for his present employer.

If you’re a job seeker, you probably already know it is essential to follow the application instructions to the letter when responding to a job posting.

Although it’s true that many cover letters aren’t read, if a company asks candidates to supply a cover letter along with a resume, you should do so. This cover letter gives you the opportunity to impress a hiring manager by showing him or her that you read the job ad closely and that you are an excellent fit for the job they need to fill. Don’t blow it.

While it may sound daunting to write a custom letter each time you apply for a job, let me assure you that once you have written your first letter, you can quickly and easily modify that letter over and over again. Here are my tips for getting more mileage from a cover letter.Read more

If you’ve worked with me to write your new resume, you know I’ll ask you to send me a few job ads at the outset of our engagement to help inform the process of drafting your new resume. I use these job ads to help me understand your goals, of course, but I’m also using them to identify keywords that will help your resume rank with applicant tracking systems (ATS) as well as to help frame your experience in a way that positions you for the type of job you want next. Many resumes suffer from being an overly-detailed, obituary-style reporting of everything you’ve ever done, professionally speaking. Instead, your resume should be a relatively short, very strong persuasive argument about what you’re positioned to do next. To write a great resume, we rely heavily on job ads that represent your desired next step.

So where do you find these job ads? For years, I have recommended Indeed.com and linkedin.com/jobs/. In the last couple of years, Glassdoor.com has become an increasingly fantastic resource for job seekers and my new favorite website to share with my clients. That’s why I was excited to read that Reviews.com recently released its “Best Job Sites for 2017” report.Read more

Congratulations! Your hard work and perseverance paid off. You got the job you wanted. Now what?

First, it’s time to celebrate. Pat yourself on the back and share the news with your closest friends and confidants.

Take a few days for yourself, a small vacation. You deserve it. Use the time to catch up on what you love to do, the things you haven’t been able to indulge in while job searching.

Tie Up Loose Ends

Now’s the time to write a courteous thank you note to the hiring person or your new boss, saying how pleased you are with the offer, and how much you look forward to your new duties. This is especially appropriate if you don’t start for a couple of weeks.

Now’s also a good time to touch base with HR and any contacts at your new company. Ask if there’s anything you need to do before your actual start date, such as taking tests or gathering personal paperwork.Read more

When I talk to people as I write their resumes, I listen to their stories. Some are stories of success and some are tales of regret.

I hear, “It’s always held me back that I never finished my undergraduate degree.” Or, “I can’t ask for a raise because I don’t have all my certifications.”

But I also hear, “My last promotion came only after I got PMP certified.” And, “The best thing I ever did was go back to school for my MBA.”

When you are ringing in next New Year’s Eve, will you be celebrating a recent success story or rehashing old regrets about the arc of your career? Will you be sitting in the same cubicle, wondering where another year has gone or will you be enjoying an increased salary, more respect from colleagues, and possibly a brand new job or new career, the kind you’ve always wanted?

Now is the time to launch the changes that will help you further your dreams. Let’s take it step by step.

Step One: Set Your Sights

You wouldn’t start an important road trip without a specific destination. The people I see succeed know what they want. It’s not a hazy picture. It’s a clear and realistic goal.Read more

If you take care of the little things, the big things become manageable.” — Heloise

Congratulations on your new job. If you’re not nervous on your first day, you’re not normal. To ease the jitters, it helps to know you’re prepared. Besides studying up on the company website and enjoying a few last unstructured days, spend some time collecting the nitty-gritty stuff to take to work on day one.

Cash in your wallet. Some of us run around with just a debit or credit card for expenses. But what if the vending machine asks for quarters? Do you really want to be borrowing money from co-workers you met two hours ago? If your new office mate offers to take you to lunch, leaving the cash tip is an appreciative gesture. How about bus fare or parking money?Read more

Many people believe a resume is just something you put together after you’ve been fired. They think it’s something you use to find a new job.

Well, that’s certainly true, but a resume can do way more than convince people to interview you! Based on feedback I get from my clients, here are 12 benefits enjoyed by people who have a current resume in hand—said another way, reasons why everyone needs a resume.

1. A Resume Builds Self Assurance

The most common perk that clients report back to me goes something like this: “I feel so much more confident now that I’ve seen what I look like on paper,” or “I didn’t know how effective I’ve been in my industry.” So, yes, a fresh resume always gives you a new perspective on yourself. Most people don’t have a realistic picture of what they bring to their company or their field.Read more

If you are serious about scoring a new job, updating your resume is the first step. But I’m usually surprised how many job seekers aren’t sure what to do next.

Do you just start emailing your resume to listings on job boards? Send it out to some recruiters? Carry it with you to job fairs? Well, yes, yes, and yes.

But even before getting your new resume into circulation, it’s smart to ask yourself what kind of job you really want.

I’ve compiled this list of questions to make it easy for you to get a handle on your job search, to save you time and frustration, and to improve your chances to find the a job that fits you perfectly.